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● 28/02/2017
The annual report of activities in Synsmaskinen: 2016


SYNSMASKINEN: fields of contemporary crisis
Fremdriftsrapport 1.2.2017

During 2016 Synsmaskinen was constituted like this:

Project-leader: Professor Frans Jacobi
Co-artistic-research-leader: Åse Løvgren
Artistic-research-assistant: Benedicte Clementsen
(Åse was on maternity leave from 1.1. to 1.9.2016. Benedicte was raised from 20% to 40% during this period)

Core research-artists (employed or to be employed in various phases of the project):
Brandon LaBelle
Thomas Kilpper
Liv Bugge (on maternity leave from 1.1.2016)
Michelle Teran
Wolfgang Mayer & Christina Barrio-Gomez (Discoteca Flaming Star)
Ferdinand Ahm Krag
Kjersti Sundland

BUDGET STATUS
The attached budget-status is preliminary. Due to the merge of KHiB with UiB and the embedded structural re-organizing, it has not been possible to get a full overview of the budget status in due time. PKU will be informed as soon as this is in place.

In the following report the various activities are described in these categories:
PUBLIC EVENTS
SESSIONS
WEB
OVERVIEW

In 2016 the following projects has been presented in public, albeit still in progress:

BURST
LA DIGNIDAD
UTOPIA MACHINE
DREAMS OF A SOVEREIGN CITIZEN
DIVINE COMEDY
UNREST

In progress as internal research are the following projects (still working titles):

DARK POOLS
CRISIS OF PERCEPTION
CRISIS OF THE OTHER/CULTURAL CRISIS

Synsmaskinen PUBLIC EVENTS
During 2016 Synsmaskinen has been presenting aspects of the research in public in various formats; exhibitions, seminars, film-screenings, performances etc. Some events were organised by Synsmaskinen, other by various organisations, curators or institutions. Sometimes the Synsmaskinen-presentation stood alone, sometimes it was part of larger context. The events are here sorted by each research-conglomerate. The two teaching programs 'Unrest' and 'Divine Comedy' are included here as they have become public programs in their own right.

BURST

13.3.2016 Kwangju/South Korea, Asia Culture Center Theater
Screening of the film BURST
As part of the program 'Transgression and Syncretism', curator and editor You Mi

6.7.2016 Porto Alegre Vila Flores
Artist talk with Thomas Kilpper and Frans Jacobi
Screening of the film BURST

1.9.2016 Copenhagen
Ferdind Ahm Krag and Theis Ørntoft published each a text on the journey to Siberia in the last issue of 'Kritik', renowned danish magazine on literature.

6.9.2016 Bergen Landmark
Booklet release: BURST - a drama on global warming.

21.-22.9.2016 Arkhangelsk Russia, Artic Art Forum
Frans Jacobi: presentation and exhibition of the film and the booklet BURST

3.11.2016 Trondheim NORDENFJELDSKE Kunstindustrimuseum
Seminar Hannah Ryggen Triennalen 2016
Åse Løvgren shows the film BURST and takes part in the panel-discussion on political art.

LA DIGNIDAD

12.6.2016 Mostoles Madrid, Corto y Cambio 8 - filmfestival
First screening of the film DIGNIDAD / DIGNITY
Presented by Michelle Teran

4.8.2016 Berlin Nachbarschaftakademie
Michelle Teran shows her film DIGNIDAD / DIGNITY
Introduction by Frans Jacobi

10./11.8.2016 Berlin Nachbarschaftakademie
Michelle Teran: workshop on reclaiming and right to the city movements
Publication launch/releaseof the english translation of THE OBRA SOCIAL MANUAL

13.8.2016 Oslo RAM Gallery / KUNST VARDO
Frans Jacobi performs OCCUPY!
Part of the exhibition I WONT DO WHAT YOU TELL ME

14.-15-10.2016 Bergen Kunsthall
Bergen International Performance Festival
Frans Jacobi performs OCCUPY!

25.10.-1.11.2016 Birzeit Palestine
People's Museum
Frans Jacobi performs PEOPLE’S FLAGS

10.11.2016 Móstoles Madrid, Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo (CA2M)
Michelle Teran shows the film DIGNIDAD/DIGNITY
In the exhibition 'White Papers' by Adelita Husni-Bey. 

UTOPIA MACHINE

8.7.2016 Porto Alegre, Brazil
UM OUTRO ERRO NAO E POSSIVEL / ANOTHER ERROR IS NOT POSSIBLE
Etcetera with Cleyton Nascimento, Andressa Cantergiani & Frans Jacobi
Performance in the streets of Porto Alegre City Center

8.7.2016 Porto Alegre Vila Flores
ANOTHER ERROR IS NOT POSSIBLE / ANOTHER WORLD IS NECESSARY
Process exhibition with Thomas Kilpper, Gabrielle Tesche,Sara Winckelmann,Pedro Ferraz, Etcetera, Cleyton Nascimento, Andressa Cantergiani & Frans Jacobi at Vila Flores

14.7.2016 Porto Alegre Vila Flores
UM OUTRO MUNDO É NECESSARIO / ANOTHER WORLD IS NECESSARY
Thomas Kilpper with Gabrielle Tesche, Sara Winckelmann, Pedro Ferraz,
Woodcut at Vila Flores, Porto Alegre, Brazil 2016
DREAMS OF A SOVEREIGN CITIZEN

27.10.-7.11.2016 Zagreb, Galleri Forum
The Hobo Subject
Performance and exhibition by Brandon LaBelle, curated by Evelina Turkovic.

25.11.2016 Berlin, Errant Sound
The Magic Block
Exhibition and bookl aunch by Brandon LaBelle and Soledad Garcia Saavedra

29.11.-5.12.2016 Chisinau Moldova, various venues
The Hidden Sphere
Workshop and interventions by Brandon LaBelle

DIVINE COMEDY

21.-25.11.2016 Bergen KHiB C.Sundtsgate 53
EVERYTHING PENETRATES THE UNIVERSE AND SHINES, IN ONE PART MORE AND, IN ANOTHER, LESS 
Divine Comedy, phase 4
Seminar Monday:
10:00-11:00: Gunnar Danbolt: “Purgatory in the Divine Comedy”
11:00-12:00: Eva Koch: “APPROACH”, an artist talk
Workshop w. Eva Koch tuesday-thursday
Exhibition: Thursday

19.9.2016 Bergen, Partisan Cafe (Bergen Assembly) + Stiftelsen 3,14
SLICED FROM THE CHIN TO WHERE YOUR FARTS BEGIN
Divine Comedy, phase 3
Seminar: “downwards thru the last parts of Hell and upwards, up Purgatory Mountain”.
Lectures, talks, performances and soup
Knut-Ove Arntzen 'Teatermaskinen fra romantiske scenerier til den postmoderne teatermaskin/Romantic sceneries to the postmodern theatrical machine.'
Toril Johannessen: 'Unlearning', artist talk
Frans Jacobi: 'on wind', artist talk
Anna Kubista: 'jag är mitt bästa', performance
Gitte Sætre: “Magic of Seven”

  • collective reading of the last verses of Hell

15.-20.2.2016 Bergen KHiB
COVERED IN MUD & SLIME
Divine Comedy, phase 2
Seminar Monday:
Gunnar Danbolt, Professor Emeritus: 'Dante’s HELL as it appears in the history of art'
Britta Marakatt Labba, sami artist: 'On Sami mythology and everyday life in narrative embroidery'
Knut-Ove Arntzen: 'Divina Comedia and the baroque Stage Machine in perspective of the scenic landscape'
Workshop w. Britta Marakatt Labba Tuesday-thursday
Exhibition: Thursday

UNREST

6.9.2016 Bergen Landmark, Bergen Kunsthall
unrest no 13: 'a la recherche de l'information perdue'
Lecture Performance by CORNELIA SOLLFRANK, artist, cyberfeminist and hacker, Berlin.

24.6.2016 Copenhagen
unrest no 12: “Etcetera“
A conversation between Grupo Etcetera: Loreto Garin Guzman & Frederico Zukerfeld and Frans Jacobi (september 2011)
Published at: www.unrestseries.wordpress.com

39.3.2016 Bergen Kjøtt
unrest no 11: Nathalie Quintane
A conversation between writer and poet Nathalie Quintane and artist Gitte Sætre
Published at: www.unrestseries.wordpress.com

8.4.2016 Copenhagen Urban Planen
unrest no 10: Kristian Byskov
in conversation with Frans Jacobi
Published at: www.unrestseries.wordpress.com

OTHER PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS

17.10.2016 Stavanger Universitet, UiS
Artistic Research Forum Stavanger
Frans Jacobi: presentation of Synsmaskinen w. Åse Løvgren on skype.

Synsmaskinen SESSIONS
As part of the artistic research process a series of internal discussions and working
sessions have been conducted by members of the research-teams in various
constellations.

29.2.-4.3.2016 Copenhagen Jacobi Studio
Dark Pools research session
Cristina Gómez Barrio and Wolfgang Mayer (Discoteca Flaming Star), Benedicte Clementsen and Frans Jacobi.

7.3.2016 Skype
Hyper Critical Conversation
Cornelia Sollfrank, Frans Jacobi
Published at: www.synsmaskinen.net/maskin

9.3.2016 Bergen KHiB
Perception research session
Kjersti Sundland, Benedicte Clementsen, Ole Christian Ellestad, Frans Jacobi

19.4.2016 Skype
Hyper Critical Conversation
Cornelia Sollfrank, Frans Jacobi
Published at: www.synsmaskinen.net/maskin 

29.4.2016 Bergen KHiB
Stock-character development
Benedicte Clementsen and Frans Jacobi

5.5.2016 Bergen KHiB
Stock-character development
Benedicte Clementsen and Frans Jacobi

18.5.2016 Skype
Hyper Critical Conversation
Cornelia Sollfrank, Frans Jacobi
Published at: www.synsmaskinen.net/maskin 

6.-7.12.2016 Bergen KHiB
Perception research session
Kjersti Sundland, Benedicte Clementsen, Ole Christian Ellestad, Frans Jacobi
meeting with Anders Ohnstad + continuous discussions

1.6.2016 Bergen KHiB
Stock-character development
Benedicte Clementsen and Frans Jacobi

8.-10.6.2016 Berlin DFS studio/home
Dark Pools research session
Cristina Gómez Barrio and Wolfgang Mayer (Discoteca Flaming Star), Benedicte Clementsen and Frans Jacobi.

22.6.-9.7.2016 Porto Alegre, Brazil
Utopia Machine research session
Grupo Etcetera (Federico Zukerfeld & Loreto Garin Guzman), Thomas Kilpper and Frans Jacobi

7.9.2016 Bergen KHiB
internal research seminar w. Cornelia Sollfrank
Åse Løvgren, Benedicte Clementsen, Frans Jacobi, Richard Launder, Sabine Popp

12.-16.9.2016 France, various locations: Rodez, Clinique La Borde/Blois , Ivry Sur Seine/Paris
Perception research session
Kjersti Sundland, Benedicte Clementsen, Ole Christian Ellestad, Frans Jacobi
Continuous research-travel, with a special focus on Antoine Artaud, Felix Guattari

26.-29.9.2016 Berlin DFS studio/home
Dark Pools research session
Cristina Gómez Barrio and Wolfgang Mayer (Discoteca Flaming Star), Benedicte Clementsen and Frans Jacobi.
Reading-sessions w. actor + continuous discussions

28.11.-1.12.2016 Berlin DFS studio/home
Dark Pools research session
Cristina Gómez Barrio and Wolfgang Mayer (Discoteca Flaming Star), Benedicte Clementsen and Frans Jacobi.
Text edit w. Anita Di Bianco, reading-sessions w. actors + continuous discussions

6.-7.12.2016 Bergen KHiB
Perception research session
Kjersti Sundland, Benedicte Clementsen, Ole Christian Ellestad, Frans Jacobi
Meeting with Anders Ohnstad + continuous discussions on hypnosis

Synsmaskinen WEB
In 2016 we spread the activities at various platforms. The website as the mail cross-research-platform proved to be important; to use the web-site as an internal communication tool and to insists on the website as the main public platform and archive of the project as a whole.

http://www.synsmaskinen.net/
The main public platform of Synsmaskinen is the website. The website ran all through 2016. An updated version 3.0 was presented at the Unrest-event at Landmark, Bergen Kunsthall on 6.9.2016

The website is divided into SYN and MASKIN:
SYN (the vision) presents research results and public events of the artistic projects that constitutes the ongoing research into contemporary crisis.
MASKIN (the machine) documents the research processes in various ways.

http://www.unrestseries.wordpress.com/
A series of interviews, lectures and events investigating the flux between art and politics, organised by Brandon LaBelle and Frans Jacobi. In 2016 all content was organised by and related to Synsmaskinen in various ways.

https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/253175/253176
Synsmaskinen in the Research Catalogue. Still a rather silent platform, yet to be explored further.

https://www.facebook.com/synsmaskinen/
Synsmaskinen at facebook. Another recent add-on, yet to be explored further, too.

Synsmaskinen OVERVIEW

2016 has been an intense year for Synsmaskinen. We are researching and producing on an array of projects in parallel. As a direct consequence of the discussions taking place on our internal seminar 'collaboration' in december 2015, the various collaborations were opened up, giving way to the broader idea of research-conglomerates. Each project is now researched and produced according to this structural concept. This means that a project consists of a conglomerate of input; varying from collective authorship to individual entries and a span of combinations between these.

The project UTOPIA MACHINE serve as an example: From a collaborative research around the history of the World Social Forum and the current political situation in Brazil two separate artworks were produced. Thomas Kilpper produced a large-scale wood-cut in collaboration with 3 local art students and the performance-group Etcetera produced a street-performance in close collaboration with Frans Jacobi and two local performance artists Cleyton Nascimento and Andressa Cantergiani. The two artworks are separate, but they share content and gives perspective to each other.

Each of the nine projects within Synsmaskinen share this uneven conglomerate character, where various contributors provide research and content to flexible wholes. Even though some of the artworks are by now finished (BURST, LA DIGNIDAD, UTOPIA MACHINE) their conglomerate wholes are still open; new additional research and artworks might still occur and add to the whole of each specific project.

As for research methods and content, each project has developed its own method, its own set of theoretical references and its own perspective on the issue at hand. The quest has been to create specific entries into the often quite abstract and generalized phenomena of the various crises in question. This process - these processes - has given way to a stranger and more intertwined understanding of political crises and how these are to be understood in a global perspective. Each of the ongoing projects focus on more or less local manifestations of a certain crisis, but as we progress we glimpse complex and disturbing relations between these manifestations of crises. Further info on the projects and the research processes within them to be found at: www.synsmaskinen.net

As we in 2016 have been deep inside each of the specific projects, developing specific methods and takes on the crises in question, we are now approaching the next phase of research, where the connections, synergies and threads between the various projects and ideas embedded within them has to be discovered, formulated and presented. This final phase of the research as total whole might thus include various presentations; exhibitions, seminars, performances, publications and such.

Synsmaskinen, Bergen, 3.2.2017